We’re celebrating as the ‘Peter Pan’ of Forepoint, aka our Studio Manager Neil Dawkins clocks up 30 years’ service with Forepoint.
“How’s this possible when Forepoint doesn’t even celebrate its 30th anniversary until later this year?”, you ask.
Well spotted… that’s because Neil was ‘in the business’ before Forepoint (formerly The Point) was a mere fledgling business called Chapel Graphics.
First on the payroll
Neil was one of the very first recruits, along with university pal Rob Holloway, of the now retired founder of the business, Simon Bailey.
Both Neil and Rob worked for Simon’s small, freelance business – initially operating from a back bedroom in Simon’s house.
Thanks to a growing contract with BNFL, and an ever-expanding client list, things quickly took off. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Great staying power
Anyone who runs a business knows that the first major challenge is attracting great talent. The next, and perhaps far greater challenge is retaining that talent. So, we’re feeling quite proud that we’re celebrating Neil’s three-decade milestone, as our director Graham Bowes explains: “Congratulations Neil, 30 years with the company is an incredible achievement and we’re grateful for everything you do. Thanks for being a great, long-time colleague, and a trusted friend.”
A multi-talented individual
In his time at Forepoint, Neil’s undertaken a huge variety of tasks. His previous Quantity Surveying skills proved to be incredibly useful when we upped sticks and moved into our purpose-designed studio space a few years back. Neil planned the space with the meticulous detail he’s renowned for, managed the numerous trades on site, and ensured that all the IT and phone systems were all installed and operating efficiently.
Neil’s also a famed model builder, a sharp-eyed proof-reader, a skilled artworker, and a stickler for quality and detail.
He’s the man in charge of most of our compliance and ISO accreditations (ISO 9001 and ISO 14001). First setting up the necessary policies and procedures to attain the awards, and then ensuring we do what’s needed to successfully retain them.
Working alongside our Technical Manager Andrew, Neil helps to oversee the majority of our IT, infrastructure hardware and software. He’s always on hand to provide help and support to the team whenever issues arise – which thankfully isn’t very often.
So, why do we refer to Neil as the ‘Peter Pan’ of Forepoint? Perhaps because he’s hardly changed in the past 30 years. You’ll still find him running to and from work, taking on the challenge of half marathons, travelling to gigs, getting stuck in on all manner of charity and fundraising events. Oh yeah and messing up the kitchen after blending up his interesting concoctions from random things found in the fridge.
So, here’s to you Neil – an all-round great geezer, someone who’s reliable, fun to work with, and who we’re all immensely grateful to have as part of the team.
We’re looking forward to more fun and achievements in decade No. 4.
